1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable wireless equipment such as a portable wireless phone for transferring voice, data, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, various mobile communications using semi-micro wave have been spotlighted, and because of its portability, a small and thin radio terminal which can be used for a long period of time is desired. Moreover, as the applications to be used, communications covering wide range of not only voice, but also data, image and the like is desired.
First, an example of a conventional portable wireless equipment PH is shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows one example of a portable telephone used exclusively for voice, which has an unillustrated radio section, a control section composed of CPU, memory or the like, and an unillustrated built-in antenna for diversity in a housing 91 formed of resin; a user interface section composed of a microphone 92, a receiver 96, a liquid crystal display screen 93, keys 94, etc. and an external antenna 95 on the outside face of the housing 91; and a battery containing section 97 on the back face of the housing 91.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a case where data communication is performed by using a conventional portable wireless equipment PH which is capable of data transmission.
A notebook type personal computer 101 (hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cPCxe2x80x9d) for data communication is connected to the portable wireless equipment PH shown in FIG. 1, via a data communication modem card 103 in a card shape inserted into a PC card slot 102 and a cable 104.
The data received by the portable wireless equipment PH is transmitted to the PC via a data communication modem (modulator demodulator) 103, and on the contrary, data from the PC 101 is transmitted to an unillustrated base station via the portable wireless equipment PH. At this time, the portable wireless equipment PH operates as one for performing data only communication between the base station and the PC 101, and performing communication control such as call-out and call-in.
Such a portable wireless equipment PH is desired to be made small and thin, due to the portability.
However, a built-in antenna having relatively large-sized parts and RF (Radio Frequency) filter and the like are present in the aforesaid portable wireless equipment PH.
Moreover, a battery for driving is required to have a large capacity so that the portable wireless equipment PH can be used for a long period of time, and therefore a large-sized battery is used. Due to these factors, it cannot be desired to make the portable wireless equipment PH small and thin rapidly.
Furthermore, at the time of using the portable wireless equipment (at the time of communication), since the portable wireless equipment PH is applied to the ear and used, the transmitting and receiving antenna 95 operates in the vicinity of the head of a human body acting as a very lossy body. Therefore radiation characteristics of the antenna are greatly deteriorated to thereby deteriorate the communication quality.
On the other hand, when data communication is performed using the portable wireless equipment PH, since it is necessary to connect it to the PC 101 via the cable 104, complicated operation such as cable connection or the like becomes necessary to perform data communication. Also, since the portable wireless equipment PH and the PC 101 are present away from each other, it is not suitable for mobile applications.
There is also a case where the portable wireless equipment PH is directly inserted to the PC 101, but in this case, a radio modem capable of connecting with the PC 101 is required in the portable wireless equipment PH, hence it is not suitable for making the portable wireless equipment PH small.
As described above, when data communication is performed, since the PC 101 and the portable wireless equipment PH are connected, it is required to connect an earphone microphone jack or the like, when data and voice are communicated at the same time by means of a multicall or the like, or in the case of a videophone using the portable wireless equipment PH.
With a view to solving the above-described problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal suitable for a videophone using a multicall for communicating voice and data at the same time and a portable wireless equipment, which is small and thin, excellent in portability, and can be used for a long period of time, and is less affected by a human body.
To attain the above-described object, the gist of the present invention is constituted as described below.
A first gist of the present invention is a portable wireless equipment having a radio unit section for performing radio communications of communication information with a base station, and a user interface unit section comprising an input/output interface used for the radio communications by an operator, wherein
the radio unit section comprises a first radio communication section used for radio communications with the base station, a second radio communication section used for radio communications with the user interface unit section, a radio unit control section for controlling the first and second radio communication sections, and a first power supply section for driving the radio unit section, and
the user interface unit section comprises a third radio communication section used for radio communications with the radio unit section, with less power than the first radio communication section, a user interface unit control section for controlling the third radio communication section and the input/output interface, and a second power supply section for driving the user interface unit section, using less power or being smaller than the first power supply section,
the user interface unit section being capable of being separated from the radio unit section for performing radio communications.
A second gist of the present invention is a portable wireless equipment according to the first gist wherein the radio unit section and the user interface unit section are constructed detachably.
A third gist of the present invention is a portable wireless equipment according to the first or second gist, wherein the radio unit has a communication modem capable of connecting the radio unit section with an image data processing apparatus which can display images or data.
A fourth gist of the present invention is a portable wireless equipment according to the first or second gist, wherein the radio unit section has a first electric contact portion, and the user interface unit section has also a second electric contact portion, and when the radio unit section and the user interface unit section are combined into one, the first and second contact portions are connected.
A fifth gist of the present invention is a portable wireless equipment according to the third gist, wherein the radio unit section has a first electric contact portion, and the user interface unit section has also a second electric contact portion, and when the radio unit section and the user interface unit section are combined into one, the first and second contact portions are connected.
A sixth gist of the present invention is a portable wireless equipment according to the fourth gist, wherein the first and second contact portions include a power supply line, and when the radio unit section and the user interface unit section are combined into one, the user interface unit section is driven by the first power supply section in the radio unit section.
A seventh gist of the present invention is a portable wireless equipment according to the fifth gist, wherein the first and second contact portions include a power supply line, and when the radio unit section and the user interface unit section are combined into one, the user interface unit section is driven by the first power supply section in the radio unit section.
An eighth gist of the present invention is a portable wireless equipment according to the fourth or sixth gist, wherein the first and second contact portions include a power supply line, and when the radio unit section and the user interface unit section are combined into one, a second power supply section in the user interface unit section is charged by the first power supply section in the radio unit section.
A ninth gist of the present invention is a portable wireless equipment according to the fifth or seventh gist, wherein the first and second contact portions include a power supply line, and when the radio unit section and the user interface unit section are combined into one, a second power supply section in the user interface unit section is charged by the first power supply section in the radio unit section.
A tenth gist of the present invention is a portable wireless equipment according to the first or second gist, wherein the radio unit section is built in an image data processing apparatus beforehand, which can display an image or data.
An eleventh gist of the present invention is a portable wireless equipment according to the third gist, wherein the radio unit section is built in an image data processing apparatus beforehand, which can display an image or data.
According to the first gist of the present invention, the communication information from the base station is received by the first radio communication section, thereafter transmitted to the second radio communication section under the control of the radio unit control section, and transmitted by radio from the second radio communication section toward the user interface unit section. Then, the user interface unit section receives the communication information by the third radio communication section which performs radio communications with less power than the first radio communication section, and thereafter, the communication information is transmitted to the input/output interface under the control of the user interface unit control section. Thus, an operator can obtain communication information via the input/output interface.
On the contrary, communication information from the operator side is input by using the input/output interface, and transmitted by less power radio toward the radio unit section from the third radio communication section which performs radio communications with less power than the first radio communication section, under the control of the user interface unit control section. The communication information is then received by the second radio communication section, and transmitted to the first radio communication section under the control of the radio unit control section, and then transmitted to the base station.
Since the portable wireless equipment is made separable between the radio unit section and the user interface unit section, an operation section which is operated by an operator by hand is only the user interface unit section. Hence, this section can be made smaller than a conventional portable wireless equipment, having excellent portability.
Particularly, by separating the user interface unit section which does not require large power from the radio unit section, the second power supply section in the user interface unit section which is operated by the operator by hand can be made less powerful or smaller than the first power supply section in the radio unit section which requires large power, enabling to make the user interface unit section small, thin, and lightweight.
Moreover, since a high-performance radio set required for communication with the base station is not necessary between the radio unit section and the user interface unit section which communicate by radio in a short distance, the third radio communication section which performs radio communications with less power than the first radio communication section (uses the second power supply section) is provided in the user interface unit section. Hence, it becomes possible to make the user interface unit section small, thin and lightweight, while ensuring the radio communication function.
As described above, the small-sized user interface unit section which is actually operated by the operator can be made small, thin and lightweight which can be used, for example, for operation or for transmission and reception, or can be carried in a chest pocket, hence it becomes possible to provide a portable wireless equipment desired by the operator.
Moreover, by separating the radio unit section and the user interface unit section for radio communications, the first radio unit section having a high-performance antenna which is essential for high quality radio communications with the base station is not put close to the head of a human body at the time of conversation, hence a high-performance antenna can be realized at the time of actual use.
Meanwhile, even when the first power supply section in the radio unit section is made to have a large capacity for longer use, though the radio unit section carried in a bag or the like is made slightly bigger, the size of the user interface unit section which is actually used does not change, hence the portability is not impaired.
According to the second gist of the present invention, the radio unit section and the user interface unit section are detachably constructed, hence usage of the portable wireless equipment as a normal portable wireless equipment and a selective application mode become possible, thereby improving the handleability.
According to the third gist of the present invention, when the voice and data or an image are communicated at the same time, it becomes possible to communicate while watching the data of the image processing apparatus connected to the radio unit section, during conversation using the user interface unit section.
According to the fourth or fifth gist of the present invention, when the radio unit section and the user interface unit section are combined into one, the first and second contact portions are connected, hence a selective application mode becomes possible to use it as a normal portable wireless equipment or to use it by separating them, thereby improving the handleability.
According to the sixth or seventh gist of the present invention, the first and second contact portions include a power supply line, and when the radio unit section and the user interface unit section are combined into one, the user interface unit section is driven by the first power supply section, thereby the consumption of the second power supply section having small power can be suppressed at the time of being combined.
According to the eighth or ninth gist of the present invention, the first and second contact portions include a power supply line, and when the radio unit section and the user interface unit section are combined into one, the second power supply section is charged by the first power supply section, thereby the power consumption of the second power supply section having small power can be supplemented.
According to the tenth or eleventh gist of the present invention, the radio unit section is beforehand built in the image data processing apparatus, hence voice and data or images can be communicated at the same time, and it becomes also possible to communicate while watching the data or image displayed on an image data communication section, during conversation using the user interface unit section, without using an earphone jack or the like.